All is Fair in Love and War

Chapter 10

Seline pulled back first and began to speak, but never got an intelligent word out as Will’s mouth was suddenly on hers. She surrendered to him immediately. It was all she had thought about since he had disappeared from the chicken coop. His arms had pulled her into him so tight it was as if they would melt into one being. The kiss was not tender or gentle. It spoke of desperation, of loss to come, and of last chances. They feverishly moved against each other and before she knew it his coat and her shawl were off and thrown onto the hay. Will guided her body down with him and leaning over the top of her. He was kissing down her neck small but firm kisses that sent zings of energy rippling through her. His hands were in her hair and pushing her head aside to expose more of her neck. Seline gasped as he brushed his hand over the top of her lips. She found her hands trying to pull his shirt up but it would not untuck. She realized that he was wearing bracers, and quickly reached up to pull them off his shoulders. His hands had beaten her there. He sat up slightly and yanked them off his shoulders with impatience, and quickly returned to kissing her. Seline’s hands returned to the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up. She reached under and touched his overheated skin. His hands also were exploring. They worked their way down her sides. One hand stopped at her waist and wrapped around her pulling her to him. His other hand found its way down to her skirts and grabbed her thigh through them. His kisses had now made his way down to her collarbone, and his warm breath was caressing her. He had wanted to let go, in the beginning, kissing her with reckless abandon. Now he slowed and kissed his way back up to her jaw line. He moved to her ear and whispered. “I love you. I have always loved you. I was never so happy as when I thought you were going to be my wife. Now that everything has changed, all we have is now.” Seline’s mind was still dizzy from all the kissing, but her heart knew what he had said. Until Will had kissed her in the chicken coop, she had never dreamed that he had returned her love. Will kissed her again on the lips. This time it was tender and passionate at the same time. Seline felt the pain and hopelessness through his kiss, yet she also felt the great love he had for her. She wanted to surrender herself to him right then. She pulled Will’s shirt up and over his head and began her own assault. Kissing every inch of him that she could touch. Learning every inch of his hard muscular chest. She had never been with a man before, and although she had been raised on a farm, and knew how the animals mated, she was not all that sure about what she was supposed to do next. As she moved tokiss his collar bone, Seline realized that Will had stopped moving. He was staring at her. He was breathing heavy, and his eyes looked wild. His arm that was wrapped around her still held her very tight. She also realized that the hand that had been grasping her thigh was now planted on the hay bale to lean on and her leg was wrapped around him.

“If we get much more into this, we better be man and wife.” Will backed his body away from her and brought his arm up from around her waist to rest on her back. He bent to kiss her. It was tender and sweet. “I meant what I said, I love you Seline Herron. I will find a way to make this right. Please wait for me. Do not marry the widower. He and I both will be going and I could not bare it if you were wed to him. I will work out a deal through my father when I return so that we may marry. My father already made amends with yours by betrothing Alice to my youngest brother, though he does not know it yet. I know that you have not said that you love me too, and that is okay. I will earn your love.”

A deep voice down in the barn startled them back to reality. "Will?" It was Will’s father and he was just below them in the barn. Will scrambled up and pulled his shirt on and then his bracers. Seline stood up next to him and Will grabbed his coat. Seline straightened her dress and then her hair and shook out her shawl. Wrapping it around her she went down the hayloft steps.

“Hello Mr. Evans. Will was asleep up there. Is it time for him to leave?” She knew that this was a lame excuse, but she did not think that he would care since his sons were going off to war.

Will appeared behind her. He had rubbed his eyes hard to make it look like he had been crying. That way his father would think that she had found Will crying in the hayloft and made an excuse for him instead. His father had told him it was natural to be scared, but to never let your enemies see it.

“Your Ma wanted me to give you this food she put together for you for the road. She made you some of the cookies that you like. She did not know when you would be able to eat next. She is lying down and won't be able to see you off. “

“Tell her I said thank you." Will bowed his head with understanding. His mother was too overwhelmed with grief to say farewell. "Well I better get on the road if I am to be there before dark.” Will went to shake his father’s hand, unsure of what to do. His father pulled him into a tight embrace. "Take care of yourself. Your mother and I love you. Know that. Be safe and come back to us.” His father turned and walked toward the house with a sniffle.

"Do you want a ride to the road at least?" Will offered after they watched his father walk back into the house. Seline nodded and Will picked her up by the waist and put her on the horse. They walked the length of the driveway in silence. Neither of them knew what to say about what had just happened or about the fact that he was leaving and may never come back.

When they reached the main road, Seline decided to stay with him a short way more so she could work up the coursge to say goodbye. As they moved down the lane, Will walked his horse with Seline on it. Seline could look down on him as he walked leading the horse. The sunlight picked out the golden highlights in his hair and eyelashes. He was truely beautiful. Seline had never let herself think about that before. Now that there was a chance that they could be together, she fantasized about what it would be like to be his wife, and to be married to him. Seline let her mind drift far away and smiled at the thought.

"You are far away. Come back to me." Seline looked down suddenly to see Will staring up at her. The horse had stopped moving and she had not even noticed. " I will always come back to you Will Evans." The smile Seline loved so well returned to his face one last time.

Will reached up and helped Seline down. His hands lingered on her waist. He was taller than her and she had to look up to see into his eyes when they were standing together. He slowly bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her warm soft lips. As he slowly pulled away he kept his eyes closed and then wrapped his arms around her and held her. Finally they slowly broke away from one another. Seline began to speak softly "Will, you know how..."

Both of them turned their heads quickly and shot apart. They heard the whinny of a horse nearby in the trees. Will called out, "Hello." They heard more movement in the trees. Will motioned to Seline for her to stay where she was. He took his knife out of his belt and proceeded into the woods. As Will moved into the woods, Seline listened to his every step in the underbrush. All at once his foot steps stopped. She heard a low voice and then more movement. The noise was growing louder and was much noisier than Will had been walking into the woods. As the noise approached, Will's horse grew uneasy switching from one foot to the other. Seline, though frightened herself, patted the animal on the neck and whispered soothing words in an effort to calm him. Will soon came into sight unharmed. He was leading a horse from the woods with him. As he drew closer, Seline recognized the horse as Heinz's mare. Seline jumped down from Will's horse. She held onto the reins of Will's horse and walked him forward. "Where is Heinz?" Seline looked behind Will and the horse expecting to see Heinz bringing up the rear.

Will bowed his head, "I'm sorry Seline. The horse must have bolted and he was thrown. Heinz is dead. " Seline reached for Heinz's horse with tears running down her face. Perhaps it was better this way. He did not want to go off to war. Now he did not have to fight.